New Delhi: Key UPA ally and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar is sulking again over not being made number two in the Union government. According to sources, Pawar and his close aide Praful Patel are even ready to quit the Cabinet.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel on Thursday skipped key UPA Cabinet meet for the second time in a row.

While the Cabinet meeting was on at the Prime Minister's residence at 6 PM, Pawar was closetted with Patel and NCP spokesperson D P Tripathi at his residence.

The row erupted after Pranab Mukherjee, who held the de facto post of the number two, quit the government to contest the Presidential poll.

The controversy was triggered after the chair next to the Prime Minister was allocated to Defence Minister A K Antony at the last Cabinet meeting, signalling that he was now the number two in the government.

Pawar was allocated the seat next to Antony, apparently upsetting him as he used to sit at the same place when Mukherjee was in the government.

NCP had on Saturday last also stayed away from the UPA meeting on Vice Presidential poll candidate.

However, I am sure if he sulks for too long, the long arm of the CBI will be activated.

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UPA-2 has majority because of C.B.I. (Congress bureau of Investigation) only. Remove BSP (20 MP), SP (22 MP) and government will fall. Mamta and Pawar are still part of UPA-2 because government will not fall even if they withdraw their support and they might face the music at end.

UPA-2 has majority because of C.B.I. (Congress bureau of Investigation) only. Remove BSP (20 MP), SP (22 MP) and government will fall. Mamta and Pawar are still part of UPA-2 because government will not fall even if they withdraw their support and they might face the music at end.

Pawar and Patel sent in their resignations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late in the evening. The prime minister is understood to have said he will not accept it, sources told IANS. However CNN-IBN quoting sources, said the two had resigned from the cabinet.

The two ministers will not be attending office from Friday, but the party will continue in the alliance, the source added.

It seems all a drama really, NCP has done it way too many times in the past, and then they quickly go back to the Congress. The only difference, they have put down their papers, but it is another thing that the PM will accept the resignation of the two.

At best a show off that they mean business (now whatever that means), at worst paid holidays at the behest of the tax payer!

UPA-2 has majority because of C.B.I. (Congress bureau of Investigation) only. Remove BSP (20 MP), SP (22 MP) and government will fall. Mamta and Pawar are still part of UPA-2 because government will not fall even if they withdraw their support and they might face the music at end.

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^ while these are Valid concerns of Real Politik

these should not be absolute factors in determining who has the higher say . . .

Raj and Udhav thackeray might come together which will translate into 15-20 MP's for SS in 2014.
Sharad Pawar has very good relation with Bal thackeray. That' why SS supported Pranab.

If BJP fails to win 180 seats in 2014, Then Shiv-Sena might support Pawar for PM post. In reward, Shiv-Sena might get CM post. 30 odd Maharashtrian MP (SS+NCP) supporting Pawar will make him frontrunner for the PM post.

but it still doesnt change the fact he very obviously deserves to be No.2
and now that Pranab is gone . . . .not acknowledging his seniority should affront any politician worth his salt

Raj and Udhav thackeray might come together which will translate into 15-20 MP's for SS in 2014.
Sharad Pawar has very good relation with Bal thackeray. That' why SS supported Pranab.

If BJP fails to win 180 seats in 2014, Then Shiv-Sena might support Pawar for PM post. In reward, Shiv-Sena might get CM post. 30 odd Maharashtrian MP (SS+NCP) supporting Pawar will make him frontrunner for the PM post.

Pawar as PM is possible without Congress only.
.

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Well . . . i thought of that . . .
and yeah
Impeccable timing i would say . . .!!

Naaah . . . come on
Congressis are good at nothing if not
Political Brinkmanship . . .

That he can never be the PM with Congress is true
. . . but he can easily be accommodated into a respected No.2

That he had to make such a hue and cry about it . . . Obviously means some other agenda hidden. . .
Though i m appalled at level of Politics by the Congress . . .
They budge to absurdest Blackmail . . . but overlook the most obvious sensibilities as Coalition Leaders

Sharad Pawar has political goodwill cutting across party lines. He used it to good effect for campaigning for Pranab Da. However Congress has never given him his due. They went as far as to nominate Chavan as the CM of Maharashtra who has always been anti Pawar. These actions are never done with your oldest coalition partner.

NCP has stead fast with the Congress since UPA I formation and have never been treated well by the senior party. SP has seen that brinkmanship with the Congress gives results, being nice with them gets you treated like a doormat. With reports of Thackeray cousins patching up, if Congress-NCP part ways, then SS will be ruling from Mantralaya, very soon.